Even after lying down on the soft, comfortable bed with Sid, Silver didn't come to his senses.
Two hours earlier, he had used every trick in the book, employing all the negotiation skills he had accumulated over the past decade, only to be defeated by the other party's calm smile.
Those intelligent eyes seemed to have seen through his thoughts, and he fled in panic under their piercing gaze, finding nowhere to hide.
Even he himself couldn't help but wonder if he was some kind of charlatan who had come to his door, relentlessly using his clumsy acting skills to peddle ridiculous and inferior toys.
The sound faded, and I suddenly regained consciousness.
The impulse recedes, leaving only sorrow.
“I’m sorry, Sid.” In the end, he could only stammer, “I’ll go downstairs and get on the sofa.”
He should be grateful that the other party took him in.
But once again, he succumbed to Sid's tenderness, unable to extricate himself, and couldn't help but try to crave more.
"Tsk, what, are you chickening out now?" The other person stopped him, their fingertips hovering over his pulse point. "Just rest here, otherwise it will seem like I'm not being a good host."
The other person's calm tone carried a smile he couldn't understand, but Silver couldn't believe it.
He looked at Sid in surprise, his ears even seeming to burn.
"After all, as you said, the bed is indeed very large." The other person lowered his eyes and added quietly, "However, if you dare to make any moves at night, you may not be able to see the sun tomorrow."
He couldn't see the other person's expression, but he was convinced that the other person's warning was true.
Silver has forgotten the series of promises he made in his excitement and foolishness.
But in reality, it's a rather sweet punishment.
In the quiet darkness, the magician beside him seemed to have fallen into a peaceful slumber.
He could hear the other person's steady breathing, wave after wave.
The sound was so close, like pure white feathers, falling one after another on his heart.
Perhaps it was due to his age, but even though Silver had been exposed to the night wind, he still felt a bit cold.
But once he lay in bed, the heat unique to the clumsy young man gradually emanated from his body.
Amid his restless sleeplessness, the young mage beside him instinctively moved closer.
Seemingly confirming the warmth emanating from him, Sid mumbled something in his sleep and then clung to him like a mollusk.
Using all four limbs, they hugged each other very tightly.
Silver froze completely. His mind went blank, buzzing with thought.
He then realized that the little mage lying on his chest was very light and thin, and even the hand that had unconsciously pressed on his chest was tiny.
But this same person had saved his life countless times.
Beneath the other person's seemingly messy hair lay a wisdom that he could never attain in his entire life.
Silver reached out and carefully embraced the little mage in his arms.
He thought that at this moment, he could truly be considered the richest person on the continent of Zhuyuan.
Sid was his most precious treasure in this life.
Even tomorrow's sun is far less than one billionth of Sid's.
...
On the westernmost coast of the continent of Zhuyuan lies an extremely long and narrow duchy called Bethlehem. The duchy has no open plains; it is bordered by the sea to the west and rolling mountains to the east.
The only way to connect with the continent of Zhuyuan is through the southern or northern routes to Bethlehem, but the area is too poor for even the merchants of Bili City to make a special trip here.
The Julius family has ruled this barren land for generations, and their signature light red hair symbolizes the oldest and most revered lineage in their blood.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, this land would be the last paradise on the Zhuyuan Continent. But unfortunately, the Zhuyuan Continent has entered a new century amidst countless wars and upheavals.
Thus, by the time recorded in the Zhuyuan Calendar, this small family was no longer able to govern the numerous earls and barons above it.
It's unclear from which Grand Duke of Bethlehem it began, but they've always been led by the nose by their ruthless vassals.
In 780 AD, Archduke Julius finally had his only son.
The child was healthy and intelligent, with round, indigo eyes that seemed to hold the wisdom to see through everything.
The overjoyed Duke and Duchess Julius named him Silver.
Silver is silver.
This is the metal in the entire world that is most compatible with lightning.
It symbolizes the moment when the world is bathed in gold, sinking into the sea, and the last sunset reflecting off the snow-capped peaks of Bethlehem that have remained unmelted for millennia, casting a bright silver glow over the territory.
But after the news spread, those restless vassals couldn't sit still.
Thus, the child named Silver, at the tender age of six, became the youngest Grand Duke in the history of the Zhuyuan Continent.
Without a doubt, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will become the shortest-lived grand duke in history.
Especially when he was poisoned by some unknown toxin, causing the Time Branch to wither and decay, and he fled in a sorry state in the snow.
He would never forget the vicious thug's malicious gaze as he looked at him.
The other person's scarlet tongue licked the dagger, which reminded him of his parents lying in a pool of blood.
Perhaps he should have died here.
However, when the opponent thrust at him with all his might, the battle-hardened assassin was blasted into a blackened charcoal by a dark bolt of lightning that fell from the sky.
In the now silent snow, Silver stared blankly down at the brooch on his chest, which was burning hot and quietly radiating a bright, clear light.
That was a birthday gift his father had carefully prepared for him after saving up gold coins for a long time; it was a magical item from a distant alchemy city.
As he trembled and gently removed the brooch, through his tear-blurred vision in the blinding, cold light of the surrounding snow, he finally made out the words engraved on the back of the brooch—
Sid Ryujin.
This was the first time he had seen the name.
The name seems to possess a natural magic.
Sid Ryukjin seemed to have a fatal attraction for Silver Julius.
Even ten years later, when he had become the renowned Grand Duke of Bethlehem, he would never forget the other person's name.
Even though he possessed unimaginable wealth, the largest expense in his annual accounts was always for collecting Master Sid's latest alchemical works.
When he stripped all his vassals of their titles in Bethlehem, he would face the most difficult choice of his life.
Ten years later, a rebellious idea began to take shape in his mind.
Should he give up and wallow in comfort and pleasure, or should he muster the courage to openly oppose all the nobles on the continent?
This incredibly passionate young duke, filled with questions about life, stepped out of the Duchy of Bethlehem for the first time.
Before making that crucial choice, he still had to meet with one more person.
He decided to go and meet the alchemist who had inadvertently saved him countless times. Every piece of the alchemist's work was brimming with talent and wisdom; Silver was convinced that the alchemist must be a master who had truly understood the world.
Based on intelligence, he disguised himself as an alchemy apprentice and finally managed to squeeze into the alchemy appraisal conference held outside Xinyin City.
It was there that he first met Master Sid, whom he had admired for ten years.
The other person looked surprisingly young.
Those emerald green eyes, cold and noble, shimmered with a serene wisdom unmatched by the entire universe.
Silver firmly believed that Sid himself was his answer.
With just one glance, Silver Julius's emotions, accumulated over many years, instantly changed.
Respect, admiration, and affection...
All of this, in an instant, was transformed into a burning love, as if by an incredible magic spell.
It set him ablaze, burning him to pale ashes.
Yes, only ominous ashes remain.
Because he spent his entire life as a level two professional, he could never catch up with the other's pace.
When he was about to die and entered his grave, the other person remained radiant and evergreen.
This is the distance between them that was destined from the very beginning, and it is also the farthest distance in the world.
But as Sid walked briskly past the empty display board in front of him with a blank expression, Silver mustered all his courage and called out to him, "Master Sid... Master Sid."
Upon hearing the sound, the other person suddenly stopped and quietly looked at him.
Those emerald green eyes were calm and gentle, showing no disdain for him because he was just an unknown alchemy apprentice.
As if encouraged by the other party's attitude, Silver nervously asked the question that had been lingering in his mind: "Master Sid, what should I do if I have an idea but am not sure if it can be realized?"
The confident master pondered for a moment before offering his answer: "Go ahead and do it. How will you know the answer if you don't try?"
Go do it.
The answer turned out to be so simple.
The young Grand Duke of Bethlehem, dressed in dirty apprentice clothes, silently watched the other's departing figure. A fierce, indomitable fighting spirit gradually ignited in those indigo eyes.
Two years passed after that.
The Grand Duke of Bethlehem, whose wealth had increased exponentially, thought he could bury this hopeless love deep in his heart. But when he received a letter from his subordinate, a surge of jealousy almost tore him to shreds.
What followed was an indescribable deep regret.
It wasn't until he learned that Sid had a boyfriend that he suddenly realized what this man named Sid Ryukjin really meant to him.
Life is short, and the days gone by are filled with sorrow.
Once a treasure is lost, it can never be regained.
That night, disregarding his frail body, he was almost completely immersed in the dark red "Blood of Bethlehem." Only under the numbing influence of alcohol could he relive that twilight outside Xinyin City.
As dawn finally broke over this bountiful land once more, a second letter from the Luna Caleb Academy arrived at him with great speed.
Oh, what is this now? The news of Sid's engagement to the other party?
Filled with utter disgust for his own cowardice, Silver trembled as he opened the envelope.
With just one glance, the tall but thin Grand Duke tumbled awkwardly outside the bathtub.
Ignoring his miserable state, Silver staggered to his feet and stumbled wildly to the desk in the study.
Ignoring the mountain of business contracts and orders piled up on his desk, Silver pulled out a letter and proposed marriage to the governor of Alchemy City, whom he had never met before.
Although taking advantage of a weakness is too despicable, Silver knew that this was his only chance.
Even if he dies alone years later, he hopes to leave a small mark on Sid's life.
This gives him the opportunity to dedicate all his love and life to the other person.
On his way to the Alchemy City, he mentally rehearsed countless scenarios of meeting the other party.
Despite his best efforts to outmaneuver the cunning governor of Alchemy City, he remained confident and ambitious.
His heart was set on Sid alone.
Sid, Sid, Sid...
This was the only thought that kept echoing and amplifying in his mind.
Even in his daze, he was swindled out of his last gold coin by the cunning merchants in the Alchemy City.
Even in the cold wind, waiting disheveled in the other party's meticulously manicured courtyard.
Silver thought that this time, even if he had to abandon all his dignity and act shamelessly, he would stay by Sid's side.
As the howling autumn wind slowly drew away his warmth, and night fell, the Grand Duke of Bethlehem's initial confidence vanished without a trace.
He huddled in a corner of the courtyard, shivering in the cold light of the magic crystal lamp.
"He's such a pathetic wretch," Silver thought to himself, his nose already red from the cold.
But at that moment, he suddenly heard footsteps coming from the alleyway.
When he eagerly raised his head, he met those cool, emerald-green eyes again under the dim light.
At that moment, the pounding of his heart drowned out the howling autumn wind; he was so happy he almost fainted.
When only the two of them were left in the space, he became so nervous that he didn't know what to do.
"Are you an adult?" Two years later, when he finally mustered up the courage to stand in front of the other person in his true form, he heard the other person ask him this question.
The voice wasn't exactly friendly, but it was the voice that had haunted his dreams for years.
In that instant when their eyes met, Silver completely forgot all the prepared words and routines.
His mind and heart were left with only the primal instinct to face the other person with unforgettable memories.
That is a genuine affection that will remain even after he is burned to ashes.
He loves Hide forever.
When he finally embraced his beloved, drowsiness finally washed over him like a tidal wave.
He was truly the luckiest man in the world. Silver Julius thought to himself.
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